Necropolis
by Jack ACE Sawyer
Summary: Marine Force Recon team are sent in to gather intel on a severely battle scared planet. They didn't know what has already taken home on the radiated surface...


Necropolis

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Written by: ACE_

*BANG BANG BANG*

"Necropolis - City of the Dead. The one and only successful assault on a Covenant controlled planet. Two hundred ships took on this planet and only 2 and a half made it out alive with minimal crew. Hundreds of thousands of nuclear devices detonated on the surface of this planet and around its atmosphere blowing up Covenant cruisers and carriers."

"It wasn't a major planet but it was a large stepping-stone towards Earth. The United Front thought they could take out the Covies easily and keep the planet as is. They were wrong. The battle lasted no more than forty-five minutes... yet eighteen million died. God only knows how many Covenant casualties occurred."

"ONI hoped that they could use the resources of this planet but by the time the battle was done the whole planet was just one big radioactive charcoal."

"I was sent in with the second Spec Ops Marine Core Recon unit a.k.a. Nova Fighters. We were the best of the best. Our mission was to land where the main Covenant headquarters used to stand for any useful information. We were given specialty suits to withstand the radiation. They'd keep us alive for at least three whole days if we had to. The mission was supposed to only last a few hours. "

*BANG BANG BANG*

"My name is Jack Sawyer. I'm the squad's sniper and scout. I am leaving this as my last record and to serve as a warning to whomever is listening. I barricaded myself inside this armory to get away... from... well let me start at the beginning. "

"It was a routine drop. The Longsword space fighter broke atmosphere and we made our way to the planet's surface. The guys sat around joking, chatting as usual but I had a weird feeling. I mean... nothing on the planet was alive. It was all dead. No living thing... no nothing... just emptiness. "

"I could sense that our squad leader, Major Wilkins wasn't thrilled about this mission either. I saw a sense of doubt flash over his eyes but it quickly was tamed by his extremely disciplined leadership ability. He ordered us out of the ship and began running assignments. "

"I was to stay back in an old rundown building watching our backs for anything suspicious. We didn't know how Covenant reacted to radiation. We had good reason to worry as we soon found out. He ran a standard 3 group attacking formation. One fire team went around the left flank, one fire team around the right flank and the Major with the XO went straight through the middle. "

"I swept the area and found nothing but black rock - nothing moving besides my team. I had the scope of my sniper aimed straight at my CO when I saw slight movement in the building they were headed towards. It was as if darkness retreated into darkness. I was a fairly seasoned sniper and I've never seen movement like that. "

*BANG BANG BANG*

"I clicked open my comm channel and told the Major that I saw something. After I didn't get a response I opened my comm channel again followed by... no response. I thought it was the planet's radiation but these comm systems had three different systems that worked at the same time - sonar, infra red and radio waves. Radioactivity didn't do anything to infra red and sonar so I had no clue what was going on. "

"I saw the Major signal the fire teams to move in. I wanted to move but couldn't. I knew that if I moved I'd miss my chance at taking out whatever was about to go after my friends. My breath quickened but my aim stayed as steady as ever… watching for any sign of movement. "

"Nothing... just… just the same black and gray that began an endless cycle of daytime nightmares that lasted only a matter of seconds. I felt like screaming to them to turn back but I knew it was futile. They were too far away and whatever it was if it was anything would come after them and they'd stand no chance. "

"I stood there for what seemed like thirty lifetimes knowing that I'll never see my brothers again. I didn't know how I knew but somehow I knew it. I was rounding my thirty-first lifetime when I saw the same darkness - the black retreating into the shady twilight of the night. It was a type of movement and play on colors and absence of colors that one couldn't possibly describe with words alone. "

*BANG BANG BANG*

"My mind was screaming at me to get up and yell a warning to my family but I couldn't. I might have well been one of the billions of midnight rocks surrounding me and my team mates. "

"Then... as if out of nowhere. This... I don't know what it was. It wasn't anything. It wasn't even a thing. It was more like an entity, a group of entities, solid entities that could pass through solid rock like it wasn't even there. It... They... moved so fast. I heard no noise... I just saw the futile flashes of silenced Assault Rifles, Battle Rifles and SMGs. "

"I wanted to fire but I was frozen solid. Wouldn't have done any good anyway. Heh the bullets went right through. The bullets missed these... things yet they still managed to butcher my squad. They were literally torn to pieces limb from limb. It was like watching a school of piranha attacking a piece of meat. They just left the bodies and retreated into their sanctuary of black darkness. "

*BANG BANG BANG*

"I continued to lay there transfixed. Not able to move. I remained there for twenty seven hours. I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, I didn't drink anything... felt no need. No hunger, no thirst, no weariness. I just stood there watching the meat of Marines literally cook in the radiation. I finally lost all mental anguish. I didn't care. I didn't care for myself, for my team, for this planet, for whatever was out there, for this whole goddamn universe. It was pointless. "

"I gathered my stuff up and made my way south of the building towards an armory. This armory…. Every time I turned back I saw them coming closer. They moved slowly knowing I won't run somehow. I'm guessing some sort of telepathic capability... maybe some weird experience of an unknown and possibly arcane sort. "

"I didn't really care. I just made my way to the armory and closed the door. The bitter sweetness I found in the darkness was indescribable. I was free. I was off the planet, away from Necropolis. Back home on Earth next to my wife and kids. Back in sunshine, in wind, in water, rain... life. "

*BANG BANG BANG*

"I was ripped away from my dream violently by a pounding on the door. First I was angry at the fact I was robbed of my false sense of freedom. Then my anger was replaced by confusion... Why was the creature banging on the door? It passed through the bullets of guns, through rock, through the reinforced metal. What was special about this place? "

"Then... I noticed my suit read zero radiation. This place was safe from radiation. I couldn't really explain it. I opened the doors and walked in yet no radiation flowed in. I couldn't explain it so I turned on my flashlight and began to sweep the room. I noticed thirty crates of ammunition Cargo. I opened them up and found crates and crates of plasma weapons. Plasma Rifles, Pistols, Carbines, Fuel Rod Guns, the works. "

"They must have been omitting some sort of anti-radiation field which protected this place. Well I've been waiting here and I have only 14 more minutes worth of life left before my suit dies out. If you're listening to this and you're alive and haven't seen these horrible creatures... get out. Leave right now. Leave this planet forever and forget it exists. Get as far away as possible. "

*BANG BANG BANG*

"Well... I suppose I might as well go down fighting. I will grab one of these Fuel Rod Guns and attempt to kill these things. If… if… the firing continues for the next ten minutes... I have succeeded and they can be killed. If the firing stops... leave. Leave before this sentence is even finished. "

*BANG BANG BANG*

A noise as if the recorder is being placed on the ground can be heard followed by a grunt; the kind omitted when lifting a heavy weight. You hear the sliding of automatic doors and a single fire of a Fuel Rod Cannon and then silence... utter... complete silence... followed by a blood curdling scream that could turn Prometheus himself into dust could be heard; a scream from a banshee of banshees. It was a scream that belonged to a lifeless creature full of hate and evil in it's purest form.

Then... utter and deafening silence.


End file.
